April Parviz, Intersect STL

A coin toss between the Twin Cities and St. Louis landed me here, married and with a baby on the way.

I’ll probably never move. I love St. Louis. I’ve been to a lot of different cities, and I don’t understand why more people don’t understand how awesome St. Louis is.

We got married at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, became members, and I eventually left my job at a copy center and started working for them as a graphic designer. It was my husband’s idea: “It’s surprisingly a very art-centered church, and you’re an artist. This would probably be a good place for us.”

The church’s connections to the arts makes it work. When Sarah Bernhardt, the pastor’s wife started Intersect Arts Center, her art studio was in the building across the street, which Holy Cross owns. One day, she heard some glass break and found out a few kids had thrown a brick through a window. She found the kids who did it and made them come inside and do some art with her. They even cleaned up the glass and used it to make art. And she took that and started an after-school program and started opening studios over there too.

I have a great job at the church, and I am an artist now. I’m not a go-getter, and I’m not really a planner. If I had thought of a dream job before this, I think I have it.

— April Parviz, Media and Communications Director for Intersect Arts Center and Holy Cross Lutheran Church